McCaskill wins by losing (AUDIO LINK)

The Senate supports Senator McCaskill’s proposal to make unit commanders responsible for prosecution of military sex assault cases in their units. Another Senator had proposed letting a special prosecutor decide if the case should be filed.

The Senate has voted 55-45 for the other proposal. But the change needed sixty votes to replace McCaskill’s approach.

She says the change in procedure is the 35th major reform to the military justice system approved by the senate in the last year. She says the changes make the American military the most crime victim-friendly organization in the world.

The debate lasts about two hours. It focuses on a competing plan offered by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibramd, who speaks first. McCaskill speaks about her experience as the Jackson County Prosecutor and the reasons she favors leaving responsibilities for prosecution of military sex crimes with commanders of the units involved with the crime about halfway through the debate as part of a colloquy she has with Senators Graham and Ayotte. She also speaks near the end, shortly before Gillibrand makes her final arguments.